We Don’t Recommend Breaking Into Your Own Car But Here’s How Anyway

Look, nobody is perfect. You worked 4 hours of overtime last night (surely you weren’t partying because you are responsible. Yeah, that’s it.) and the morning just isn’t going the way you would like. You’re in a fog. You have a nagging sense that you’re forgetting something. No, you’re pretty sure you have everything. Time to go to work and …oh C’mon! You locked your keys in the car. You were doing so well but here we are. Sorry Ice Cube, but today is NOT a good day.

At this point, you’re wishing this was you.

Let’s start with some caveats. This guide will show you how to break into YOUR car. I strongly encourage you not to turn to a life of crime. This is for the purpose of getting into the car you already own (emphasis on the YOU and the OWN) because your keys are sitting in your cup holder taunting you. Please be responsible.

Step 1: Don’t break the window

Easy there, Rambo. You want to get into the car by causing minimal damage. And, just a hunch here, but you probably want to break into the car discreetly. You also don’t want shards of glass jutting from your face as you stroll into work.

Step 2: Choose your tools wisely

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If you are at Starbucks, jockeying a triple espresso in one hand and a ringing phone in the other when this disaster strikes, chances are you aren’t walking around with a flat knife and a clothes hanger in your back pocket. If you are, you’re probably already breaking into cars anyway. Or you’re McGuyver. In this instance, you should put in a call to your local Fire Department, who can come unlock your car for free. No foolin!

If you are home however, you will need some tools. The key to successfully getting into a car without causing too much cosmetic damage is by having a wedge-like object handy (for example, a flat knife) and something that will poke. The poking object needs to be thin enough to pass through the space provided by the wedge to reach the lock of the door on the inside. A straightened-out wire hanger will probably be the object of choice here.

Step 3: Create an opening

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If you have an old t-shirt or cloth handy, you may want to wrap it around your wedge to avoid scratching the sweet candy paint job on your car. While your pride has suffered permanent damage, your car shouldn’t have to. The fabric may make it more difficult to fit in the space between the top of the car and the door, but if you can get it to work, you’re home free. Make sure the wedge goes in firmly because it will be left alone while you use both hands to manipulate the wire hanger. Give the wedge a few taps to ensure stability.

Step 4: Use that opening

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Now that your wedge is in place, let’s see what you’ve got, Grand Master Lock Picker. Add a small hook to the end of the hanger because you’re going to drop the rod in through the opening you’ve made and get a hold of the lock button on the inside of your door. Once the hook is behind the lock, give it a pull and set it to the unlock position. This will probably not succeed on the first attempt, but with enough force the lever should move eventually.

Now you’re back in your car but guess what? Someone called the cops. Now you’re looking at 12 years in a minimum security prison bunking a guy doing time for arson. And for what?! Which brings me to step 5.

Step 5. Don’t Get Locked Out!

You can avoid all of this and a possible prison sentence if you make a copy of your car key. Duplicating keys has never been simpler because of KeyMe. All you need is the KeyMe app installed on your phone. Find your nearest kiosk and order as many copies of your keys as you’d like which are then delivered to your home. The next time you lock your keys in the car, just pull out your spare. Trust me, it’s better than walking around everywhere with a door wedge.